Month: November 2016

Last week I wrote a post with suggestions on ways to feel less lost after the election results. To say I felt shell-shocked is an understatement. I can’t say I was dying for Hillary to be my President but I was dying for Trump not to be. Now he is, so I have to deal with it.

What I can’t do is deal with it by sitting around kvetching and spreading gloom and doom theories about what worst case scenario might happen. I don’t know for sure what the next four years will look like but I do know that there are some fantastic groups that will need additional support because they are likely to be low or nonexistent on the Trump agenda. So, today I’m starting to do #My5percent. I’m going to give 5% of my company’s income to a charity and dedicate 5% of my time to one. It’s one of those commitments that alone is small but if others join it, it could make a huge difference. It is also my way of making my life about action and agency–feeling like I have a say in the direction I go in.

The group I’ve chosen for my 5% donation is Planned Parenthood. I do have fears of thousands of women not having access to birth control and cancer screenings. If Obamacare is repealed, this will certainly be the case. Planned Parenthood will be more vital than ever to low income females for their reproductive healthcare. I will be giving 5% of my gross as KarenGordonAuthor to Planned Parenthood.

The other group that I’m giving 5% of my time to is The Girl Scouts. I love this organization. My mom was a girl scout well into her 60’s. They are smart and inclusive and a fantastic place for young girls to learn skills and make connections that will help them become great future leaders. And…there’s the cookies. I’ll be contacting the local chapter to see how I can be of service. Based on a typical 40 hour work week, I want to dedicate at least one day a month to them (5%). Even with my busy schedule, that is very doable.

I’d love for more to join me. Volunteering is one of the best ways to feel like you have some control, like you are making a difference. If you decide to join in, please share your #my5percent commitment in the comments or use the hashtag. I’d love to see more women on social media showing that we have the power to create the world we want to live in.

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The hotest boss-babe series in chick lit continues! Today is cover reveal day for book 2 in The Vivienne series, HiJack. It’ll be published January 12th, but you can pre-order your copy today for only 99c. Click here to make sure you get the pre-order price.

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This is a hard morning for a lot of people today. Not just in the U.S. but worldwide. We’re in shock. Things did not go as planned, we have no idea what the repercussions will be and that is scary. It’s easy, way too easy, to fall into a bad rut today. How many of us are trolling social media, soaking in all the gloom and doom reporting and hateful gloating. It’s starting to feel like passing the same bad car wreck for hours and hours as you witness a lot of fear being played out.

If you are an INFJ, or really any introvert, you are feeling this more than most. You are a sponge and you can’t turn that off. Where as others can skim through the muck of angry posts, you will absorb that energy until you become saturated and feel like that’s all there is out there. I get that you want to feel connected to someone right now who will make this all feel better, less surreal. Hanging out with your tribe on a day like today can be a great thing, if they are finding some positive things to say. But if your social media friends are swimming in the muck it’s time to tune them out and do things that will pull you up (so you can then do that for others).

Here’s my recipe for getting out of the muck rut.

Turn off the TV and get off social media for the rest of the day. It may feel a little like the world is ending, but it isn’t going to happen today.

Clean something, preferably something that won’t get dirty or messed up again quickly. Cleaning out drawers is one of my favorite things to do on a day like this. Getting rid of what no longer works for me and getting more focused on what is important to me does wonders. When you are done, stop and admire your work. Take a pic of it and post it on social media…tomorrow.

Take a bath. A long, deliciously-scented, low-light bath with maybe some Pandora spa music playing. Sit there until the bubbles have all popped and the water is cool. Think about your fears and address them. Prioritize them and decide what causes you are most concerned about. Get clear about where you want to spend your precious energy now.

Get dressed in your best feel-good clothes. For me it’s a Hello Kitty sleep shirt with leggings and my favorite slippers.

Get on your computer, but only to research whatever cause you decided is at the top of your new priority list. This is your chance to keep your cause alive and thriving. There are so many groups that will need additional support in the next couple of years. Commit to one or two now. Make plans to volunteer.

Read something up-beat or watch “Young Frankenstein” or “Monty Python.” Bonus points if you can do this with someone you love (human or furry) curled up with you.

Get some sleep! Most of us were up waaaay too late last night, clutching our knotted stomachs, playing out wort-case scenarios in our heads. Rest tonight knowing that even though times feel dark, you are going to be a light in that darkness starting tomorrow.

I hope this helps. Being a sensitive person is never easy, but it’s especially challenging on a day like today. Know that there are so many others out there. It’s just that, you know, we’re introverts, so we’re hard to find. But I’m here and there are millions of others too. Comment below or contact me if you want to chat. (Probably tomorrow ;-))

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I started on this this book a year and a half ago. I wanted to create an incredible female character, one who embraces her feminine traits and uses them in the business world to find success. I wanted her to be the opposite of the ball-breaking, tough-ass bitch that successful women have been portrayed as before. Vivienne is introverted and quiet. Her super power is watching and learning, then seeming to have all the answers out of nowhere. She knows her strengths, but she’s just not sure how to use them…yet.

Fearless Flying is the first book in The Vivienne Series. The great news is that most of the series is already written so there will be very little wait time between books!

Click here to grab your copy today. It’s only 99c on Amazon or FREE for KU readers. Hop on board and #LiveLikeViv.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go off line. I’ve tried to run but I just can’t seem to hide from this election. I’m ready to cast my vote and be done with all this online bickering and ads.

If you’re with me I’ve got the perfect solution. Let’s go to Savannah. Ok, yeah, it’s in the U.S. and the election is there too, but it’s not in Vivienne’s world. This Thursday, November 3rd, I’ll be publishing THE BEST election escape book, ever.

It’s called Fearless Flying and it’s boss-babe, rom-com, chick-lit fun. Here’s the details so we can plan out escape together.

An amazing job, check

An adorable apartment, check

A super supportive best friend, check

There’s only one thing missing from Vivienne Ramsey’s perfect life…

And after ten years of waiting the time is finally right for her to seduce her dream man. Tonight she’s going to wear Danny out in bed until he dies a happy man. But before she can begin her carefully crafted strategy of seduction he’s headed for the door. And for once in her over-organized life Vivienne doesn’t have a back-up plan.

If he had only read the memo about his part in her happily-ever-after.

It will be live on Amazon for 99c (and FREE on KU) on Thursday, then you can silence your devices, turn off the tv and retreat into Vivienne’s world.